Bill Simmons is an entertainer first, a basketball fan second, and a credible source last. While I do not doubt he has a wealth of basketball information, his job is not to inform, it is to generate traffic. And this thread demonstrates that he does his job well.

Never thought of it but why does Battier get to do the interviews with his awkward ass? and as for the thread FUCK Bill Simmons he is funny sometimes though not going to lie, just dont understand why his opinion is wanted and shared in basketball....

I think you guys missed the point of his column. He was spit-balling a plan to improve the Lakers in 1 year. He main point was to not take on any contracts past next season, while simultaneously shedding all of the contracts. The only albatross contract left? Nash. Who is the only team that would even THINK about taking Nash on? The Raptors. If Nash phoned up MU and said, "Listen, LA isn't winning any time soon, I want to come to Canada. I'll help by providing leadership, come of the bench and provide stability, improving the teams national image, and perhaps I can groom into a management role when I retire (maybe after this year). Why wouldn't the Raps want to at least THINK about that?

I like Bill Simmons, but you don't go for him for things like "analysis", "insight", or "facts", because he never seems to care about the DETIALS. You go to Bill Simmons because he's funny and has ridiculous knowledge of past NBA info which he frequently works into his pieces. Also, because he recognizes our VC FURY, and argues that were justified! Plus, he shits on himself ALMOST as much as everyone else shits on him, which I enjoy.

It's hard to see how a deal would work but I wouldn't be against have Nash as our back up... especially if we aren't giving up much value to get him. Kleiza+Gray+Someone with an non-guaranteed deal next year would probably make the financial work. But yeah, it's probably not going to happen for a number of reasons.

"We only have one rule on this team. What is that rule? E.L.E. That's right's, E.L.E, and what does E.L.E. stand for? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY. Right there up on the wall, because this isn't just a basketball team, this is a lifestyle. ~ Jackie Moon

In case you don't bother to read the article, Simmons is clearly have fun suggesting that they should not take on any salary and just have a revolving door of 10 contracts for former lakers, like Walton, Vuvejic, and Horry... but my favorite parts are

7. Tell Jack Nicholson to stay away for the entire season.

We don't want Jack sitting there and enduring a willfully bad Lakers team. It might kill him. You know, assuming he's still alive and they haven't been propping up his body for home games like he's Bernie Lomax.

Initially, I was thinking that Jack should turn over his 2013-14 tickets to this guy …

… just to bang home to everyone that we're having the most depressing Lakers season ever. But clearly, there's a better answer. You know who should be sitting in Jack's seat all year? Phil Jackson. With one of those smug half-smiles on his face that says "Can you believe this shit?" crossed with "Can you believe my idiot brother-in-law didn't hire me back?" And what could be better than that the crowd chats "PHIL! PHIL! PHIL!" 10 times a game? Jack, you're giving Phil your seat. See you in October 2014.

8. Keep Mike D'Antoni for the entire year.

When I was going over my tentative "Save the Lakers" plan last night with my friend Lewis (a Lakers nut who's onboard with everything you just read), I jokingly asked him, "OK, what would you do with D'Antoni?"

"Are you kidding?" Lewis yelped. "YOU KEEP HIM! YOU KEEP HIM THE WHOLE SEASON! WE WANT THE WORST COACH POSSIBLE!!!!! WHY WOULD YOU EVER FIRE D'ANTONI!"

(Ladies and gentlemen, the Mike D'Antoni era!)

At the end of the article he points out that the lakers aren't going to take any of his suggestions.

It's one of those crazy articles that you know is ridiculous, but leaves you thinking "It just might work!" but of course it won't.

"We only have one rule on this team. What is that rule? E.L.E. That's right's, E.L.E, and what does E.L.E. stand for? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY. Right there up on the wall, because this isn't just a basketball team, this is a lifestyle. ~ Jackie Moon

Add Steve Brotherston to the list. He also thinks the Raptors should pursue Nash.

The Raptors need a veteran presence and Nash could help some of their young stars develop their leadership attributes. While Nash could fill a number of holes in the Raptors roster, the Lakers are not in a position to be demanding a lot back.

The trouble is, the Raps might miss out on one of these young superstars in the upcoming draft. They're already too good, Nash might make them even better. He's right that the Raptors are a league-wide joke, with no good history. What they could really use is a serious owner.

I think Bell and Rogers are pretty serious owners. They are in this for content.

If you mean an individual owner billionaire like Cuban who is happy to lose money to win, then, yeah, sure that would be ideal.

But bringing in Leiweke, then Ujiri, then cleaning house, then bringing in an assistant GM and paying him double league average.... I think these are serious changes relative to OTPP ownership.

The roster is going to take time but I don't think we'll see a situation like Harden shipped out to avoid luxury tax should Toronto ever land 4 stars worthy of the entire cap on their own.

I think only way Masai takes on Nash is either Kleiza n Gray for Nash n a 1st or Fields n Gray for Nash n 2nds. Straight up no picks, no chance. Still dont think there is a chance, maybe if B was GM still.

Bill Simmons is an entertainer first, a basketball fan second, and a credible source last. While I do not doubt he has a wealth of basketball information, his job is not to inform, it is to generate traffic. And this thread demonstrates that he does his job well.

Isnt that what a twat is?

ps...I thought I recognized your points for the most part in my note.

My reaction stems from his various/previous put downs I have seen or read of/by him and all with the requisite smirk. He does have a good historic perspective on the game but he strikes me as one of those political american pundits who use Canada as a whipping child when it is convenient.

Meh. Maybe he waives his trade kicker. Maybe if I had six more arms I'd be an octopus. We can sit here and pick it apart from our office chairs but it really doesn't seem worth it. I enjoyed it.

don't bother. matt found his strawman.

i get a chuckle out of the geniuses on here who spout off about simmons' lack of bball IQ, or his 'putting down' of canada, the raptors etc...because it only drives home the point that those who believe this don't have a clue what they're talking about.

to qualify...i'm about as anti-boston as there is. i disagree with simmons on quite a bit, and i find his style grating. but what i've found over the years is that he actually does know what he's talking about. while many of his contemporaries are pundit-ing away and trying their damnedest to appease the masses, he's been a fairly objective critic. sure, he sees things through celtic-coloured glasses, and if that's enough to disqualify everything he says, well, that's on you.

as for the article, and the section on the raps - how is what he wrote in any way disrespectful to canada or raptor fans? is something he wrote untrue? please, indulge me in the greatest moments in raptor history. i'll give you 5 minutes. not sure what we'll talk about for the remaining 4 m 45 seconds tho...

as for the trade idea...i'm not sure why it's so bad (if it could be made to work under the CBA, which shouldn't be too difficult...a shuffling of the deck chairs more than anything). nash ain't winning in LA this year, and the likelihood that they'll be able to retool on the fly and be a chip contender before his contract is up is probably at about 3%. if he's going to be on a shitty team, it might as well be on the raptors, who have a clear need for a back-up PG & some legit veteran leadership. if you're in the TANKTANKTANK camp, well, his role can be suitably diminished, and it's not like this is '06 nash anyway. and if you're in the camp that believes they need to start creating a winning culture & push for the playoffs while developing young talent, who better than a guy like nash to bring on board? i was dead-set against them going after him last year (and the resultant fields contract - BARF then, BARF now), but it makes more sense now than it did then.

look, simmons certainly doesn't need me defending him, and for all the deadspin fans out there, he makes a perfect & convenient target. but maybe let's not be so quick to dismiss an idea from someone because of our predisposed feelings towards that person, m'kay? and before we propagate misinformation about how simmons feels about the raps & canada, maybe take a minute & actually look into some of what he's written about both first.

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ďThe saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.Ē - Martin Luther King